Update: David Yates has issued the following statement about his depature from the film: "Unfortunately, due to conflicting schedules and ongoing commitments in the narrow window I was hoping to make this film, it has become no longer possible for me to direct ‘Your Voice in My Head.’ I am sincerely sorry to be leaving such a fantastic project, and I wish producer Alison Owen and everyone involved the very best for what I am sure will be a distinctive film.”
Though recently pushed back from a spring to summer start, allowing Emma Watson the chance to flex some comedic muscle in Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg's directorial debut "The End Of The World," it looks like "Your Voice In My Head" is going to need a new director.
Deadline reports that the drama, which was planned as a reunion between 'Harry Potter' duo Watson and director David Yates, will now be moving along without the helmer's talents. No, it's not anything acrimonious, rather, "a family health situation" has forced Yates to leave the project, because the writers and producers apparently weren't willing to push the start back any further. It's certainly a bit of a bummer for both star and helmer, who would've been striding out of 'Potter'-land together on something quite different, but it will be interesting to see who will get lined up instead.
However, Deadline wonders if WB will be as eager to move ahead with the drama without the (easily marketable) pairing of Yates/Watson. An adaptation of screenwriter Emma Forrest's memoir of the same name, the tale is a candid account about her battle with self-destructive behavior and how she was saved by a compassionate psychiatrist. Watson is set to take the lead, with Stanley Tucci lined up as the psychiatrist, though his participation seems to be a bit more up in the air at the moment. But it's tough dramatic material, which in these days of tentpoles and sequels at the major studios, becomes increasingly difficult to make. Yates won goodwill with WB by making them billions of dollars, allowing him the leverage to do something like this…but now that's he out, will that incentive to make the movie still be there? We'll see.
But, here's hoping the pic gets back on track, as it definitely sounds promising. It would mark another shift in gears for Watson who has been taking on a variety of gigs ranging from Sofia Coppola's "The Bling Ring" to the upcoming "The Perks Of Being A Wallflower." So let's see how this plays out…